Broken
by BabyBat14
Summary: A story inspired by Harley Quinn and the abuse towards inmates in Arkham Asylum. [Warning: sexual assault, abuse/violence, depression, schizophrenia and other mental health issues]
1. Prologue: Broken

\- She doesn't work anymore, Steve. - said the doctor. - Bet she can't even hear what we're saying right now.

She could. All muffled, barely distinguishable sounds, yet she could hear. She couldn't listen, but she could hear, she couldn't understand, but she knew it.

\- Patient 714, are you conscient? - Steve asked.  
She didn't reply…at least not out loud. But Hugo could read her, as if she'd written the words in the air with her mind. And the air was heavy, and it looked like hell. Steve rushed in:

\- I must go to check on another patient now - he quickly checked the clock, an almost white rabbit figure. - Are you sure you're safe with the keys?  
\- Steve, please…Before you, I held the solitary for various years. Besides, what harm can a little girl in a straight jacket do to me?  
\- I wasn't talking about you. - he pointed to the girl, sitting there in desolate appearance, just staring at the floor with her empty eyes and empty soul.  
\- She'll be fine, don't worry. It's just a few pills, it's alright. - Hugo calmed Steve into leaving. He was a very good actor.

But there were no pills, and there was no light. And she knew it. By the moment he brutally closed the doors, she could feel the sound and the wind of the slam. Cold. Hard. Unfeeling. Just like anything else.  
She heard the lock, and she knew that it would be a night to remember.

… Not that she had a choice.

\- Tell me, little girl - Hugo crouched down and soft, yet coldly grabbed her chin. - What's going on with your mind, hm? Do you understand what I'm saying? Do you understand anything at all?

She looked up to his freezing gray eyes, and there she stared at him for. A few seconds, before her head's weight fell on her neck.

She had given up…Way before it started.

Because she was already done with getting started anyway. Already done with fighting. Already done with screaming.

He pulled off his belt.

No sound was heard.


	2. Chapter 1: Bad Girls Go to Hell

Broken

Chapter 1: Bad girls go to hell

Arkham Asylum, Gotham City – Day #12:

No one could ever explain what led Harley to her current situation, although her "lover" would typically say "it only takes one bad day". Funny thing is, it took her the best day of her life to reduce her to insanity.

\- Do your friends call you Harley? - Joker asked, laying on the clinic's couch and smiling to the ceiling.

\- I don't have many friends. - The blonde answered, shy.

\- Well, Harley...You've got one now. - His voice sent shivers down a spine, but she smiled.

She liked it.

But there was nothing more ironic than a psychiatrist with daddy issues, a broken family and a broken heart.

\- My first boyfriend was a psycopath. - She tiredly spoke to the psychologist on the chair, Dr. Julia Wellson. The sound of the pen quickly writing all down almost echoed in the silent, warm room. - There was this girl in class… She hated me, and I hated her. So he one day did me a favor. - Harley paused as she remembered that day, but the doctor's impatient look made her go on. She took in a deep breath. - ...He killed her.

Yes. The first time is always unforgettable…. However, to someone with stockholm syndrome, past love affairs could never be só indifferent. All she wanted, all she needed was her Puddin.

And that's what brought her here. Her Puddin. Whoever said strong women don't need no man never heard of Harley Quinn. She was fierce. She was strong. But she was no independent lady.

She was broken.

And she gave everything up for him.

Late monday night, the chains on her ankles leading the sound to her cold 6'x9' cell. "How ironic" she thought, with bitterness. "I used to be on the other side of this place… I used to be the player…." - the guard rudely pushed her into her room, slamming and locking the white metal door. - "...Now I'm the one they play with".

From a respected psychiatrist in Arkham Asylum, to inmate in the very same. It's true what the fairy tales say: never underestimate the power of love… Especially when it's one sided.

"Note to self: never conduct a rebellion in an insane asylum"

You could think she would've learned. But she didn't. It was her 3rd time in after multiple attempts to escape, and it would definitely not be her last.

"My Puddin will get me out of here" - last time he'd escaped. - "I know he will..." - she told herself everynight, before sleep, laying on what you could barely consider a bed. By then she knew every single crack of the walls, on which she'd be constantly writing to spend her tortuous time. - "He loves me".

Little did she know he was the one who left her to be caught that night. - In fact, she knew. - But she would never admit it.


	3. Chapter 2: Professor Hugo Strange

Arkham Asylum, Gotham City – Day #16

Professor Hugo Strange. It's hard to define whether he was a madman driven by science or a scientist driven by and into madness. But one thing was clear: the head of Arkham Asylum had no business in recovering it's inmates…

...And everyone knew it.

Loud, heavy steps echoing through the silent white corridors, and following him, endless rumours that no one dared to check if were true.

Cause they knew they were.

Beated his own wife to death, bribed the GCPD to hide the evidence, used inmates for "research" and testing, and was especially well known for the loud screams of young girls after midnight.

\- NO! PLEASE! STOP! - The doctors on the archives room stared at each other. - PLEASE, LEAVE ME! - If there was a sound for such pure dispair, that'd be the hysterical screams of Lydia.

Professor had recently diagnosed her with "hysteria" and "dissociative personality disorder", among other dementia and psychosis, but everyone knew it was not the case. Dr. Hara shivered as she tried not to spill her coffee. The walls seemed to shake with every single yell from the lobotomy room.

It suddenly stopped.

That was usually the moment doctors and inmates feared the most. The abrupt, yet long hours of silence after endless screams of little girls.

No one heard of Lydia ever again.

But you would always hear of other inmates on the next day.

\- Dr. Whickham? - Hugo walked, impecable and serious as always, into the room. - Call the cleaner for room 73. Patient 541 had a … seizure – he straightened his lab coat. - and ended up...breaking some bottles of chemicals. We don't want other patients to be infected now, do we?

The doctors at the table stared at each other in a look of complicity. Whickham wouldn't dare to deny help. No one would.

\- Yes, Dr. Strange. - he nervously replied, walking out the room in quick, anxious steps.

Not a single soul dared to say a word, for if they did, it'd be the last they'd ever speak. But everyone knew the truth, and it secretly made Hugo mighty and proud, for to him, fear was the epitome of respect. And he could never lose respect.


	4. Chapter 3: A Little Change

_**Arkham Asylum, Gotham City - Day #20**_

\- GO! GO! GO! – The sergeant screamed, leading the marching, running men to the cafeteria. Kicking the door open, his eyes desperately searched through the crowd of inmates.

\- There, sir! – One of the guards pointed to the messy, bleached blonde pigtail girl rolling on the floor. Running towards her, the men pointed their guns, while two tried to pull them apart.

\- HOW DARE YOU WEAR MISTAH J'S FACE? HOW DARE YOU, BITCH?! – Despite all the fuzz being made by other inmates, that high pitched Brooklyn accent was loud and clear.

\- He'll never come back for you, bitch! – she spat – I AM his daughter, you're just some random WHORE he picked u-

\- I'LL KILL YA, I'M TELLIN' YA! – Harley jumped straight to that twisted, smiley face, trying to rip out the stiches.

\- WE NEED MORE MEN, SOMEONE LOCK THOSE BITCHES UP – The commander yelled, and two more men came to separate the fight, as both girls struggled against their grip, rolling on top of each other, between punches, scratches and growls of rage.

\- YOU BITCH! – The Joker's Daughter screamed, her hands bleeding over her ear. – SHE RIPPED MY FUCKING EAR! – The guards finally separated them, as the girls tried to escape their grip, alternating between failed punches and kicks in the air, the ripped ear hanging from Harley's creaking teeth.

\- That's why you gotta keep these goddamn FREAKS inside a cell! – The sergeant screamed towards the doctors. – Can't even keep up with a goddamn catfight!

\- CATFIGHT?! IMMA SHOW YOU WHAT'S A CATFIGH- The doors creaked open, and suddenly a deadly silence spread through the room. Everything silent, but the increasing steps.

\- Now, now… What is the problem here? – Hugo approached the guard, with his hands on his back and a calm, yet firm expression. – I believed we had all under control – he said, with his low, dark voice.

\- Well, you were supposed to. – The sergeant replied. – But apparently, that's not the case.

\- Sargeant Witmore, I suggest you keep your tone down. After all, I am still chief of this facility.

\- Yes, sir. – He replied, reluctant.

\- Lock the girls up in their respective cells – Hugo commanded. - …Dr. Wellson?

\- Yes, doctor. – Julia replied, trying to contain her apprehension.

\- I want to see you later in my office this afternoon. We need to talk. – He dropped those words like a silent bomb, as he calmly left the room.

* * *

\- Doctor Strange? … - Julia slightly opened the door to his office. – You called me here earlier today…What do you want to talk about?

Hugo turned his chair to her, hands together like an almost villain-figure from a comic book.

\- Dr. Wellson – he kindly smiled – please, close the door.

The doctor did as she was told, and sat on the chair Hugo pointed to her.

\- I believe you saw today what happened regarding Harley Quinn…

\- Yes, I was there the entire time. – She sighed – She was making such progress based on our sessions… I didn't think she would give in so easily to her triggers…

\- The thing is, Dr. Wellson, the mentally ill can never be cured, you know very well my opinion regarding that matter.

\- Yes, I do. – She quickly replied. – but still, they can learn to control themselves and lead a better life, not only for the sake of others but especially their own. If she is so easily shaken by such thing like the mere presence of The Joker's Daughter, then I believe her soul must be really hur-

\- Dr. Wellson, please – he gave off an sarcastic laugh, as he walked in circles around the room – People like these, they don't have no soul… They don't-

He stopped. He knew how Julia was new there. He knew the ace up his sleeve. No, he could do better than that. He could use her.

And she'd never know.

\- They don't have no soul like ours… - He gave a sad smile – They are way too hurt to be measured by our standards of "progress" and "well-being".

\- You're right… - Julia looked down, sharing what she believed to be a real feeling of pity towards the mentally ill. – I just wanna help them, you know? These people…They deserve a happy life.

\- Absolutely, my dear! Absolutely! – He said – This is why I believe a more experienced doctor should take charge of Quinn's case. – Julia looked back at him suddenly – In this case, me… But don't be sad! – He quickly added, looking her in the eyes – you will treat a very special patient, an elder with bipolar disorder and the most severe case of depression. You have the especial touch of…kindness that I believe he needs. – He smiled.

\- Yes, doctor… I agree – Julia looked away. – However, I must say I was very excited about studying and helping on Harley's case.

\- I know, Dr. Wellson, but you see… Sometimes we must make sacrifices for the sake of progress well-being of others, don't you agree?

\- Yes, Dr. Strange.

\- Great. Then I will leave your new schedule by your office tomorrow morning. – He said with excitement as he opened the door. – Good evening, Dr. Wellson.

\- Good evening to you too, Dr. Strange.

* * *

All was dark and cold when Harley heard the cell's door opening. Sitting there, hopeless on the floor, the nurse came in with her meal, accompanied by two guards. She layed the plate on the ground and handed her the spoon, but Harley pushed the plate away, claiming she wasn't hungry. "All I want is Mr. J", she said, "nothing less and nothing more". The nurse simply ignored her, wishing to avoid any type of conflict. Before leaving, she stopped and said:

\- Your therapist was changed due to recent events, miss Quinn. All your appointments now shall be with Dr. Hugo Strange.

-…Strange? – She asked with slight fear in her voice. She heard the stories. She heard the rumors. – Why not Julia?

\- I am simply the nurse here, miss Quinn. You may ask Strange in your next session. – The nurse left.


End file.
